Fate of Debate Still Uncertain

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Sen. John McCain, Republican presidential candidate, maintains that he will not participate in the Mississippi debates, scheduled for tonight, until a deal on a Wall Street plan was hashed out in Washington.

“I believe that it’s very possible that we can get an agreement in time for me to fly to Mississippi,” McCain said late Thursday. “I understand how important this debate is and I’m very hopeful. But I also have to
put the country first.”

The senator has hinged his decision on the outcome of now crumbling negotiations over details in the $700 billion bailout bill.

Obama has said that he still plans to be in Mississippi tonight, voicing the importance of Americans hearing from the two candidates who will deal with the fallout of the nation’s failing economy in 39 days.

According to the Associated Press, McCain did not participate in late-night negotiations in Washington but worked the phones from his home in Virginia. A senior McCain official said McCain hasn’t signed on to any one proposal, though he agreed there needs to be greater protection for taxpayers, the AP reports. Political pundits predict that no resolution will be met by tonight and that the debate on the debate over the bailouts details, including agreements on pay cuts for top Wall Street executives and remedies for the mortgage industry, may run into next week.

The United States Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) says it is going ahead with the first debate as planned.

The AP also reports that debate organizers in Mississippi continue to prepare, and Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican, told a news conference he expected the debate to go on as planned. “This is going to be a great debate tomorrow night,” Barbour said.

Also, television networks said they were moving forward with plans for the debate to commence.

Janell Hazelwood is a copy editor and reporter for BlackEnterprise.com.